Defying the mullahs, Iranians resist antisemitic doctrine - opinion

With the recent escalation in the Iran-Israel confrontation, including Israel’s October 25 strike on Iran’s air defense system and military infrastructure, analysts are divided over whether this will fuel nationalist anti-Israel sentiment in Iran. 

We contend that for generations, Iranians have resisted the regime’s persistent efforts to instill antisemitic and anti-Israel hatred. 

We call on the global community to help Iranians in eradicating the remaining antisemitic sentiments in Iranian society, both domestically and abroad.

For more than 45 years, the Islamic Republic has adhered to an ideology blending radical Shiite Islamism with antisemitic fanaticism, often masked as anti-imperialist anti-Zionism.

The regime has waged its war on Israel and the broader Jewish community through a growing network of armed, cultural, and religious state and quasi-state entities.

The armed manifestations of this campaign are vividly evident in the regime’s cultivated proxies across the region, now assembled as the so-called Axis of Resistance: The Lebanese Hezbollah, various armed Shiite factions in Syria and Iraq, and the Yemeni Houthis.

The regime’s campaign goes beyond armed conflict; mullahs claim to export their revolution “peacefully” and to merely defend against “the occupying Zionist regime.”

With a network spanning from Oceania to the Americas, the regime spreads antisemitic and anti-Zionist propaganda reminiscent of interwar European fascists, infiltrating Iran’s education system and broadcasting thousands of hours of anti-Zionist programming worldwide. 

Multiple objectives at play 

This extensive propaganda campaign has multiple objectives. Within Iran, the regime’s primary aim has been to indoctrinate each new generation, seeking to create an ideologically unified, self-policing, anti-Israel society.

In times of conflict, this serves as a source of loyal combatants for the Axis of Resistance against Israel. Regionally and internationally, the regime aims to amplify both latent and overt anti-Jewish and anti-Israel sentiments in Arab and global public opinion.

Iran’s small but enduring Jewish community, with a lineage stretching back centuries, has weathered numerous political and cultural upheavals. 

This history, deeply intertwined with Jewish culture, is recognized and respected by many Iranians. 

Iranian Jews face restrictive policies that expose the hollowness of the regime’s claims of religious tolerance. Public prayers like Shema Yisrael are banned due to their mention of “Israel,” while Jewish citizens are pressured to denounce Zionism and the Jewish state. 

These denials of basic rights are deliberate attacks on the identity and dignity of Iranian Jews. This helps explain why Iran’s once-thriving Jewish community of 100,000 has dwindled to barely 20,000.

Iranian media actively spreads disinformation, fueling conspiracy theories about Jewish control of world events and tainting public discourse with unfounded suspicions.

Indoctrinating children 

From early schooling, Iranian children are exposed to the regime’s toxic narrative against Jews. 

Textbooks, rather than educating, portray Jews as conspirators and enemies of Islam, sowing seeds of suspicion that deepen as students advance. 

By high school, Iranian students are taught to view Israel as an illegitimate state, a global threat, and to see Zionism as a blight, implicating all Jews in alleged crimes against humanity.

State-run television and conservative media in Iran continue to spread antisemitic content, deny the Holocaust, blame “influential Jews” for global problems, and promote crude stereotypes to shape public opinion.

Despite the extensive antisemitic propaganda campaign, many Iranians hold attitudes toward Jews and Israel that differ widely from the regime’s doctrine. 

Although the Islamic Republic maintains a narrative of anti-Israel and anti-Zionist vitriol, many Iranians, particularly those beyond state influence, hold very different, less hostile views. 

A significant portion of Iranians, especially the younger generation, rejects this propaganda, driven by a desire for peace, coexistence, and stability. 

An antisemetic, oppressive rule 

For regime opponents, rejecting antisemitic rhetoric is part of a broader condemnation of its oppressive rule.

The image of Iranian university students and the public sidestepping Israeli flags painted on sidewalks symbolizes quiet defiance of the regime’s push to demonize Israel.

 With these simple yet defiant gestures, Iranians convey disdain for symbols the regime tries to force underfoot. 

Through these actions, Iranians courageously signal their resistance to regime propaganda, choosing dignity and respect over hate.

Recognizing the gap between government propaganda and the convictions of ordinary Iranians is essential.

A 2015 Anti-Defamation League study found that Iranian respondents held the lowest level of negative views toward Jews among surveyed Middle Eastern nations—56%—compared to 69% in Turkey and 93% in the Palestinian territories. 

These numbers reveal a population capable of independent thought, often contradicting state doctrine.

Iranian skepticism toward state narratives strengthens this independent thought, as many question the motives behind propaganda and seek their own truths. 

In 2015, some level of public tolerance for the regime still existed.

Since the November 2019 protests and the “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising in 2022, Iranians appear to be taking their struggle to a new level, hinting at calls for regime change.

Given Iranians’ resistance to regime propaganda, especially during Israel’s recent precision strikes, now is the time for peace advocates to educate Iranians worldwide on Israel’s importance to the global Jewish community. 

There is an urgent need to counter this antisemitic campaign through digital and traditional media, emphasizing the dangers of dehumanization and creating accessible, interactive materials for young Iranians and the Muslim world.

Shahin Modarres contributed to this article. Shayan Samii is a national security and international affairs analyst with teaching expertise on Middle Eastern matters and has served in a multitude of roles for various US government intelligence and foreign policy organizations.

Dr. Shahram Kholdi has been a lecturer of record in Middle East history and politics since 2009 and has acted as a Middle East specialist for various G7 countries for decades.

Shahin Modarres is an international security analyst.